Machine for slitting sheet metal.



,L. B. CURTIS. MACHINE FOR SLITTING SHEET METAL. 1,071,712.

/Z I3 I r mac-ra or L. E. CURTIS.

MACHINE FOR SLITTING SHEET METAL.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.5, 1912.

1,071,712. Patented Sept. 2,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ZELI/L'E 611125 i citizen of the United 'To all whom it may concern UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS-E. CURTIS, OF KENILWOBTH, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMES STEEL L ATH COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,

' MACHINE FOB SLITTING SHEET METAL.

- Be it known-that I LEWIS E. Ctm'rls, a States, residing in Kenilworth, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Slit ting Sheet Metal, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to improvements in machines for slitting sheet metal.

Sheet metal slitting machines, such as, are

a used to slit or'cut sheet metal to be subsequently expanded to form' metal lath, are now commonly made with the slitters' or cutters mounted ina hingedly-connected twoart housing, oneslitter or cutter being I .jo'urnale'd in. each part, tothereby permit the upper part of the housing'to beswung back on the hinge connection and allow ac: ce'ss to the slitte'rs or cutters.

In practice,- the upper part of the housing, orhousin'g cap, is swung back as often as once-or twice per day, and this repeated swinging back of the housing cap and the repeated heavy shocks on the machine tending to separate'the two parts of the housing, whichresult" from the impact of the metal sheets against the slitters 'each time a sheet strikes against the same, soon wear the hinge [connections and thus destroy the adjustment between the overlapping slitters or cutters and hence decreases the efficiency of the slitting operation. As is well known, the slittersor cutters are very finely adjusted and this fine adjustment must be maintained to insure the successful operation of the'machine during the heavy wear to which the slitt'ers are necessarily subjected. y

The object of my invention is'to provide a slitting machine of the type above referred to having adjustable means to compensate tor all the Wear on the members formingthe hinge'connection between the two parts of the housing.

The invention furthermore consists in the improvements in the parts and devices and in the novel combinations of the parts and devices herein shown, described or claimed.

In the odrawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a ongitudinal, vertical sectional View of a slitting machine of well known form and having my improvements embodied'therein and Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the structure shown in' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application med December 5, 1912. Serial No. 785,068.

' formed of the cap 14 in which A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

Fig. 1, and being upona somewhat smaller sca e.

In the drawing 10 denotes the bed or base which is of suitable form and adapted to support various parts of the slittin machine. The slitting machine, as s iown, comprises a lowerhousing formed of two members 11, 11, slidably and adjustably mounted in Mounted in suitable hearings in the housing two members 11,11,is the arbor 12 on which are mounted the lower slitters or cutters 13. Pivota'lly connectedto the housing 11, 11, by connections more particularly hereinafter described, is the housing is mounted in suitable bearings, the arbor 15 supportin the upper set of slittcrs or cutters 16, the s itters 16 intermeshing with or overlapping the slitters 13 in the usual manner. he hinge connections between the housing and the housing cap comprise two lower hinge pieces 17, 17 secured to the two members 11, 11 ofthe housing by means of tongues 18, fitting in coiiperating rooves 19, and a plurality of screws 20. ach hinge piece 17, asshown, is provided with a members21 adapted to rece1ve the inge pins 22 and between the members 21 and mounted on the pins 22 are the upper hinge pieces 23, each of said hinge pieces 23 being provided with'a threaded portion 26,which passes through bored lugs 27 formed integral. withthe housing cap 14. Mounted on each threaded portion 26 is an adjusting nut 28, by means of which cap 14 may be adjusted relatively to the upper hinge pieces 23 tothereby compensate for any wear between the hinge forming elements. Each upper hinge piece 23, as shown, is provided with vertically elongated slots 29 through which pass setscrews 30, the latter bein Y threaded in the housing cap-14. Between the heads of the screws 30 and the upper hinge pieces 23 are provided Washers 31, and as will be obvious, the set screws 30 are adapted to clamp or hold in position, the upper hinge pieceswelatively to the housing cap 14: after any adjustment has been made by the nuts 28. The hous-' ing cap 14 isheld in proper position, during the slitting operation, by any suitable means such as the screws 32 whichpass through the housin cap 14 into threaded soclcets in the mem are 11, 11, forming the housing,

Ways on the bed or base 10.

pair of s aced the housing and the hinge pins 22 are held in proper position by any suitable means such as cotter pins 33. a

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided means for compensating for wear on the hinge forming elements, said means being soarranged that the hinges on each side of the machine are independently adjustable; I

Although I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred embodiment of my invention, yet it will be understood by those skilled inthe art, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts Without depart-ing from the spirit of the invention, and 'all such changes and modifications are contemplated as come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

1. A slitting machine of the character described comprising, in combination: a housing; a housing cap; cooperating slittersmount'ed in the housing and housing cap; a hinge connection between the housing and housing cap; and-means for compensating for wear on the hinge connection caused by the repeated shocks on the machine which occur when the metal sheets strike the slitters, substantially as specified.

2. A slitting machine of the character described comprising, in combination: a housing; a housing cap; cooperating slitters mounted 1n the housing and housing cap; a

hinge connection between the housing and housing cap; and means for compensating for wear on the hinge connection including an adjustable connection between one of the elements of the hinge connection and the housing cap, substantially as specified;

3. A slitting'machineof the character described comprising, in combination: a housing; a housing cap; cooperatingslitters mounted in the housing and housing cap; a hinge piece mounted on. the housing; a second hinge piece mounted on the housing capand cooperating with {said first named piece; and means for adjusting one of said hinge pieces relatively to the member to wghich it is secured, substantially as speci- 4- A slitting machine of the character described comprising, in combination: a housing; a housing cap; cooperating slitters mounted in the housing and housing cap; ahinge piece on the housing; and a second hinge piece cooperating with the first named hinge piece and adjustably mounted on the housing cap,ito thereby provide for adjustment between the housing and housing cap vto compensate for wear on the hinge connection, substantially as specified.

5. A slitting machine'of the character described comprising, in combination: a housing; a housing cap; cooperating slitters mounted in the housing and housing cap; two sets of hinge connections between the housing and the housing cap; and independent means 'for compensating for wear on each of the hinge connections, substantially as'specified. 1

6. A slitting machine of the character described comprising in combination: a-housing; a housing cap ;co5perating slitting devices mounted in the housing and housing cap; means for connecting the housing and housing cap together-and adapted to permit relative movement therebetween; and means for compensating for wear onsaid connecting means, substantially as specified.

7. A slitting machine of the character de- I scribed comprising, in combination: a housing; a housing cap; cooperating slitting devices mounted in the housing and housing cap; a hinge piece detachably secured to the housing; and a second hinge piece, cooperating with the first named hinge piece,

adjustably mounted on the housing cap,

substantially as specified.

; LEWIS E. CURTIS.

Witnesses: I

' JosEPH HARRIS,

WILLIAM A. GEIGER. 

